I have these shifters. I use them. I love them. Internally, they are identical to the C-Rec. retrofriction levers that most of us have seen. They are very rare, especially on this side of the Atlantic. Pairs of them do occasionally come up on eBay. I posted something about them here on the CR list last winter and had several people respond saying that they didn't exist and/or I must have been mistaken as to what I had. I also read somewhere that Bernard Hinault used them in the 1985 Tour de France, but I scanned old magazines and couldn't find a photo to back that up.
One list member (can't remember who, right now) had a set for sale at this year's Cirque. When they sell on eBay, they usually go for $100 or more.
A missing link? I've used that phrase to describe them to people before. The predominant opinion that I've heard floated out there is that they were done as a small run, perhaps pre-production prototypes or something. Then they were dropped in favor of C-Record without ever being officially released, or even included in a catalog. This would make sense, since it was about 1985, and Super Record was on the way out and C-Record was just coming up. The sets that are out there probably went through some shops in Europe that had a bit of clout. I have no way of knowing this for sure, but I wouldn't expect that there are more than a couple hundred pairs of these in existence.
Last thing, Lou is definitely right -- the shifters pictured in the eBay auction running right now are definitely backwards.
Kyle Brooks Akron, OH
> [Original Message]
> From: <LouDeeter@aol.com>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Date: 6/24/2007 11:19:17 AM
> Subject: Re: [CR]Campagnolo Super Record Retrofriction shifters - the
missinglink - an eBay outing
>
>
> In a message dated 6/24/07 10:44:43 AM, jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net writes:
>
>
> >
> >
> > http://ebay.com/
> > ESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=190125990872&rd=1&rd=1>
> >
&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=190125990872&rd=1&rd=1
> >
> >
> >
> > or just item number 190125990872
> >
>
>
> I've never seen Campagnolo shifters like this. The width of the base
looks
> wider than the Record shifters. However, I am puzzled by one little
piece
> and it may just be my state of mind after riding this morning (brain
sugar
> deprivation), but are these shifters mounted backwards? Either that or
they have
> the cable head entry inside. I see no other way for the cable to be
> threaded correctly. Anyone? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL USA
>
>
>
>
>
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